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James 'Pate' Philip - Obama in Illinois

James 'Pate' Philip served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1966 to 1974, and in the Illinois Senate from 1975 to 2002. Senator Philip hailed from the Republican stronghold of DuPage County, and for most of his years in the Senate (1981-2002) he served as the leader of the Republican caucus, and after 1993 as the Senate President. Philip developed a reputation for being a 'straight-talking Marine' who often was criticized for off-color comments. Philip was a traditional conservative on fiscal issues as well as on the Equal Rights Amendment, gun control, crime and the death penalty. His comments on fellow state senator Barack Obama are brief, reflecting the relatively low profile Obama had in the Illinois Senate during his time as a member. Also present during the interview was Carter Hendren, Senator Philip's chief of staff during his long tenure in the Senate.